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James City Co. Police warn about presence of ATM skimmers

Posted at 1:50 PM, Aug 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-15 23:21:26-04

The photos show some types of ATM skimmers and was provided by police.

JAMES CITY Co., Va. - Police are warning people about ATM skimmers after one was found at a BayPort Credit Union in James City County.

Police said skimmers are devices that are placed over card readers on machines that scan credit or debit cards, like ATMs and gas pumps.

News 3 talked to Pearl King, the bank's fraud supervisor. She said, "an individual was having difficulty when he was inserting his card into the reader."

Related: Card skimming device scheme linked to gang ties, victims in 8 states leads to arrests

Criminals put these small, inconspicuous devices into place and come back a few days later to retrieve them. They are then able to access card information from all cards that were scanned through the device.

Here's how you can avoid becoming a victim:

  • Take a good look at a card reader before using it.
  • Look for signs of tampering and anything unusual. Some skimmers will cover the flashing indicator light on ATM’s.
  • Feel for loose parts, as card reader parts should not wiggle or move when gently pressed. If you see or feel something unusual, do not use the machine and contact the financial institution or business.
  • If you see something, say something. If you see suspicious activity at an ATM or other card reader device, please contact police at 757-566-0112.

King says the credit union is doing every thing to protect their members, including conducting daily inspections of all of their ATMs.